Vehicle sttppoet



April 10, 1928. 1,665,646

1 J. H. VALLEAU VEHICLE SUPPORT Filed 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l amucwto'c 1HX/alha au J. H. VALLEAU April 10, 1928.

VEHI CLE SUPPORT Filed Aug. 50. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .QLL-TLYSlle an :25 I 6301mm Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATE 56 JAMES H. VALLEAU, 0F RENO, NEVADA.

VEHICLE surron'r.

Application filed iAuglust a0, 192 Serial No. 132,566.

6 This invention relates to vehicle supports and one object of theinvention is to provlde aldevice which maybe disposed upon the flOQrJQfa ge an suppor a au omabile housed therein with its tires Outof cona t.with the fl o s; By: suppor n an mobilef jwith its, wheels elevatedslightly above the floor weight will be removed from the tires and theirlife extended. I

Another object of the invention ist-o so construct the support that anautomobile may be readily driven onto or off of the same and the use ofa jack eliminated a [6 Anotherf object of the invention is to preventthe wheelsof the automobile fromslipping transversely of the supportwhile belng driven onto or oif of it. a

[The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein i 6 Figure l is a view in side elevation showingan automobile resting upontheimproved supp r 6, 6 6 1 igure 2 is a top plan view of thesuppert.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectlonal vrew taken through the support alongthe lme 3 -3 ofFigurel, I, l M 6 Figure 4; is 6 a fragmentaryperspect veview-of a portion of the support, and Figure 5 is" an enlarged view of arocker shaftforming an element of the support The support constitutingthe subjectmatter ofthis invention consists of a frame having sidestrips 1. The side strips are preferably planks of sulficient thicknessto prevent them from being bowed downwardly by the weight of theautomobile and these side strips arefirmly nailed or;.otherw1se securedupon cross strips 2 which maybe referred to as ties. Beams 3 extendlongitudinally upon the side strips 1 and are suitably secured thereon.The beams are spaced from the outer side edges of the strips and areintended to engage the front and rear axles of the automobile betweenthe wheels thereof, as shown in Figure 3, and also serve to prevent theautomobile from moving transversely upon the frame a sufficient distancetopermit the wheels to slip off of the same. At their forward endsvth'ebeams carry a cross strip #i-which serves to brace themand alsoconstitute a bumper adapted to engage the front axle of an automobileand prevent theautomobile moving forwardly off of the frames, .Front andrear track strips 5 and 6 extend longitudinally upon the sidestrips.These track strips have their adjacent ends spaced from each other andat their ends are beveled sothat the wheels of the automobile mayreadily move onto and off of them. The rear track strips are firmlysecured so that they do not have movement upon the side strips but thefront track strips are only secured at their forward ends, and havetheir rear ends free so that they may be forced upwardly, as shown inFigure 4:, The track strips may beof any material desired but metal ispreferably used and the fronttrackzstrips are resilient so that whilethey will normally rest upon the side strips as shown in Figure 2, theymay be forced upwardly to the position shown in Figure l, andindicatedby dotted lines in Figure 1. While it has been stated that the stripsand beams forming the frame are preferably wood it will he understoodthat metal or other suitable materials may be employed. A rocker shaft 7extends transversely across the frame and at its ends is provided withbent portions forming handles orlevers 8,,bymeans o w h it a be ro atedt swing itscam 9 upwardly and elevate the rear end portionsof the fronttrack strips. 6

When erected the frame may be embedded in the floor of agarageajsuflicient distance to" permit the automobile to be readily drivenonto'or off of the track strips or gang ways 10 maybeprovidedat itsrearend. When an automobile is driven onto the sup port theffront wheelsfirst move over the rear track strips and then onto the, front trackstrips. the driving wheels move along the rear track strips until theypass off of their forward ends. 6 The front wheels will move off 6 ofthe forward ends of the front track strips at the same time that therear wheels move off of the rear track strips and when this happens theaxles of the chassis will rest upon the side beams 3 and support theautomobile with the Wheels elevated and their tires out of engagementwith the side strips 1.

The tires will therefore be, relievedv from weight and will not beliable to crack or have flat portionsiform if the automobile remains inthe garage for some time. When it is desired to use the automobilatherocker shaft grasped by one of its handles and rotated to swing its camupwardly and elevate the reere d p r es at t fro t ek trip The rearwheels which are When the front track strips are swung upwardly theirrear ends will be brought into contact with the tread portions of therear tires so that the rear Wheels may have engagement with them toimpart rearward movement to the automobile. It will thus be seen thatunder ordinary circumstances the motor may .be left running while theautomobile is supported upon the device Without moving forwardly orrearwardly beyond the position shown in Figure 1, but it 'may *be movedoff of the support very easily when desired.

Having *thus described the invention, '11 claim:

1. A vehicle support comprising -supporting meansadapted to engage thechassis of a Vehicle and support the vehicle with its wheels elevated,front and rear track menr bers-sp'acedfrom each other and along whichthe wheels of a vehicle travel when the vehicle is-moving onto and offofthe support, the front track ine'mbers bein'g of a length to bedisposed between the front and rear wheels of a vehicle resting uponsaid supporting means, and means to move the front track members intoposition to engage the tread portions of tires of the rear wheels of asupported vehicle and permit movement of the vehicle rearwardly off ofthe sup ort.

2. A vehicle support comprisingsupporti'n'g means adapte'dto engagethechassis of a vehicle and support the vehicle with its wheels elevated,front and rear track membersspace'd from each other and along which thewheels of a vehicle travel when *the vehicle is moving onto and off ofthe support, the front "track members "being of a length to be disposedbetween the front and rearwhe'els of a vehicle resting upon saidsupporting means andbeing formedof strips of reslllent material andhaving free rear end portions, a rocker bar extending transversely ofthe support, and cams carried by 7 said shaft and adapted to move therear end portions of the front track members upwardly into position toengage the tread portions of tires of the rear wheels of a supportedvehicle and permit movement of the vehicle rearwardly off of thesupport.

3; A veliicle support' comprising elongated members adapted to extendlongitudinally beneath a vehicle and support the chassis of the "vehiclewith its wheels elevated, 'front and rear track members spaced from eachother and disposed adjacent said elongated members and adapted to beengaged by the wheels of a vehicle moving onto'and 0d of said support,thefront track members being disposed between the front and-rear wheelsof a vehicle when the chassis thereof is resting upon the elongatedmembers and means for moving the front track members into position toengage tread por- "nally beneath a vehicle and support the memoirs gatedmembersadapted to extend longitudinally beneath a vehicle and supportthe chassis of the vehicle with its wheels elevated,

front and rear track members spaced from each other 'and'disposedadjacent said elongated members and adapted to be engaged by the wheelsofa vehicle moving onto and off -of'sai'd support, thefront trackmembersbeing disposed between the front and rear wheels of'a vehicle whenthechassis thereof is resting upon the elongated members, and havingfree rear end portions, and 'inea'nsto move the rear end port-ionsof'said front track members-upwardlyinto position to engage tread'porti'ons of tires car-ried'by the rear wheels of the vehicle andpermit movement of the vehicle rearwardly off of the support.

5. A vehicle support comprising elongated members adapted to extendlongitudichassis of the vehicle with its wheels elevated, front and reartrackmem'bers spaced from each other and disposed adjacent saidelongated members and adapted- "to be engaged by the wheels of a'vehicle moving onto and'off of said'support, the front track members beingdisposed between the front and rear wheels of a vehicle when the chas-"movement of the vehicleoii' of the sup'port.

6. A vehicle support comprising elongated members spaced transverselyfrom each other and adapted to extendlongitudin'ally beneath a vehicle,forward and rear track members extending longitudinally 'of saidelongated members adjacent their outer sides, said forward and reartrack members having'their adjacent'ends spaced from each other-and theforward'track members being of a length to be disposed be'tween'th'efront and rear wheels of a vehicle when its rear wheels are betweenthe forward and rear track members, the elongated-members being of aheight to engage the axles of a vehicle when the forward track member isbetween its front andre'ar wheels and support the vehicle with itswheels elevated and means for moving the rear portions of said forwardtrack members upwardly into position to engage tread portionsof the rearwheels of V a vehicle restingupon the elongated members and permitmovement of the vehicle ofi of "the-support.

7. A vehicle support comprising a base including longitudinallyextending side strips, bars extending longitudinally upon said strips inspaced relation to their outer side edges and projecting upwardlytherefrom and adapted to engage beneath the chassis of a vehicle andsupport the vehicle with its wheels elevated out of engagement with thesaid side strips, front and rear' track strips extending longitudinallyof said side strips between their outer side edges and said supportingbars along which the wheels of a vehicle travel when moving onto and offof the support, the front track strips being spaced from the rear trackstrips and of a length to be disposed between the front and rear wheelsof a vehicle resting upon the support, and means to move the front trackstrips into position to engage the tread portions of tires of the rearwheels of a supported vehicle and permit movement of the vehiclerearwardly oil of the support.

8. A vehicle support comprising abase including longitudinally extendingside strips, bars extending longitudinally upon said strips in spacedrelation to their outer side edges and projecting upwardly therefrom andadapted to engage beneath the chassis of a vehicle and support thevehicle with its wheels elevated out of engagement with said sidestrips, front and rear track strips extending longitudinally of saidside strips between their outer side edges and said supporting bars andalong which the wheels of a vehicle travel when moving onto and off ofthe support, the front track strips being spaced from the rear trackstrips and of a length to be disposed between the front and rear wheelsof a vehicle resting upon the supports, said front track strips beingresilient and having free rear end portions, a rocker V shaft extendingtransversely across said side strips beneath the rear end portions ofsaid front track strips and formed with cams engaging the under faces ofthe front strips and means to rotate said shaft and swing its camsupwardly to move the rear end portions of the front track stripsupwardly into position to engage the tread portions of tires of the rearwheels of a supported vehicle and permit movement of thevehicle'rearwardly off of the support.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES H. VALLEAU. [L. 5.}

